Device for inserting and pulling electrical plugs



y 0, 1960 R. c. LADRICK 2,936,438

DEVICE FOR INSERTING AND PULLING ELECTRICAL PLUGS Filed Oct. 28, 1954 25 I /7. x I i F7&.7 2a

5r 3AM United States Patent DEVICE FOR INSERTING AND PULLING ELECTRICAL PLUGS Ray C. Ladrick, Duluth, Minn, assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application October 28, 1954, Serial No. 465,415

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-110) This invention relates to a device for inserting or removing plugs from sockets and more particularly to a tool for inserting or removing electrical plugs situated in inaccessible locations.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tool for inserting or removing plugs in hard to reach places.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tool for inserting or removing self-locking electrical plugs which require a twisting motion to unlock them from their sockets.

A tool illustrating certain features of the invention for inserting or removing a cylindrical self-locking electrical plug having a raised longitudinal rib extending the length of the plug may include a long handle to which is attached a tubular member having a longitudinal slot for passage of an electrical cord connected to the plug and an internal diameter slightly greater than the diameter of a plug to be placed therein, a stop to limit the insertion of the plug into the tubular member, a pair of guide lugs to insure that the plug enters the tubular member in a predetermined relationship and to permit rotation of the plug to unlock it for removal and a tang projected inwardly from the tubular member and positioned so as to be rotated into a position behind the end of the rib of the plug to pull the plug from the socket after it has been unlocked by rotation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a plug and socket of a well-known type with a portion of the plug shell cut away to show the mechanism for locking the plug to the socket,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tool;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the tool with a portion of the tool broken away to show a plug held in inserted position therein;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the tool taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the position of the rib relative to the guide lugs when the plug is inserted into the tool;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 with the plug rotated in the tool to align the rib with the tang on the tool; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the plug showing the locking mechanism of the plug. 7

Referring now in detail to the drawings there is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a plug 11 of the self-locking type, which is advantageously manipulated by the device of the present invention to insert it into a socket to make an electrical connection and to twist it to unlock and remove it from the socket. This plug to be manipulated by the tool or" the present invention has a cylindrical body 12, a shell 14 having a raised longitudinal rib '15, a resilient latch 16 secured to the raised rib 15 for locking it in a socket, and an electrical cord 18. The plug is adapted to be mated with a socket 19 having a radially 2,936,438 Patented -Ma y 10, 1960 extended pin 20 positioned so as to engage the latch 16. As the plug 11 is pushed into its socket 19 the pin 20 will force the latch 16 upward and pass under it. After the pin 20 passes the latch 16 the latch will return to the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7 locking the plug 11 to the socket 19. The shell 14 is spring loaded (not shown) to urge said shell clockwise with respect to the plug body 12 and socket 19 to maintain the latch 16 be hind the pin 20 as illustrated in Fig. 2. To remove the plug 11 from the socket 19 the shell 14 is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the plug body 12 and socket 19 until the latch 16 clears the pin 20 and the plug 11 is then pulled from the socket 19. A head 17 of a screw threaded into the plug body 12 is positioned in a slot 23 in the shell 14 to limit relative movement between the shell and the plug body.

The present embodiment of a device for inserting or removing a plug such as that previously described is a tubular member 21 of spring steel having a longitudinal slot 22 of less width than the rib 15 for the passage of the electrical cord 18 connected to the plug 11 as it is introduced into the said tubular member, and a pair of stops 24 for limiting the distance which the plug 11 may be moved into the tubular member 21. A head of a screw 25 threaded into the tubular member 21 serves as a first guide lug to insure that the plug 11 enters the tubular member 21 with the raised rib 15 in a predetermined position; that is, with the head of the screw 25 immediately adjacent to one side of the rib 15. A head of another screw 26 threaded into the tubular member 21 serves as a lug to engage the rib 15 to rotate the plug shell 14 to unlock the plug 11 from the socket 19. A tank 27 is projected radially inward from the tubular member 21. between the screws 25 and 26 for engaging the end of the rib 15 when the plug 11 is to be removed from the socket 19, and a handle 28 is provided for use in overhead or other hard to reach locations.

In operation a cord 18 attached to a plug 1 1 is passed through the slot 22 and the plug 11 is introduced into the tubular member 21 until the end of the plug 11 engages the stops 24 as illustrated at Figs. 4 and 5. By

use of the handle 28 the plug may now be inserted into a socket 19, the locking mechanism thereof operating as previously described. In removing this plug from its socket the plug 1 1 is introduced into the tubular member 21 as shown in Fig. 5 with the head of the screw 25 adjacent one side of the rib 15 until the stops 24 engage the shell 14. Thereafter, the tubular member 21 is rotated counter-clockwise until the tang 27 is behind the rib 15 and the head of the screw 26 serving as the lug is in contact with the rib 15 as shown in Fig. 6. Further rotation of the tubular member 21 in this direction will force the lug (the head of the screw 26) against the rib 15 to rotate the shell 14 and move the latch 16 clear of the pin 20 so that the plug 11 may be pulled from the socket 19 by the tang 27.

It is to be understood that the above described arrangements are simply illustrative of the application of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

In a tool for inserting or removing a self-locking cylindrical electrical plug with a raised longitudinal rib from a socket, a hollow cylindrical member adapted to receive said plug and having two open ends and a narrow longitudinal slot intersecting said ends, portions of said hollow cylindrical member adjacent to said slot at one end being inwardly offset to provide a stop for contacting one end of the plug, said hollow cylindrical member having at the end opposite the said stop a tang projected in References Cited in the file of this patent i Y UNITED STATES PATENTS Hanke Sept. 22, 1914 Bixby May 1, 1928 Whitney July 10, 1945 Phillips Aug. 14, 1945 

